Method of making articles from casein



June 24, 1930 L. A. APPLE 1,765,8.19

f 'METHOD OF MAKING RTICLES FROM CASEIN Filed May 2*, 192'? Patented June 24, 1.930'

L:Anuncian A;

f a' rounnarconra'ngj,A oo'aroaa'non Application vfueaxay 2,' 1927. Iseiai No. 488,257,

This l invention relates to l an i improved ,l

method of making articles from casein, its

i underlyingobject being methodis shown as app to produce the artif cles practically in a single operation which leaves them smooth and without a die-mark -of any kind, and furtherv effects a material saving in labor and time.

In the accompanyin drawings, the 'ed to the manufacture of buttons-or similar articles. Figs. l and 2 show a plan and sectional elevation, respectively, of a female die used in carrying-the invention into effect, while Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate the complementary male die; and Figs. 5 to 7 illustrate the successive steps in forming the articles and ejecting them from the dies. c

The female die has stationary forms inserted in the-.die.plate 9 and secured'to a bottom plate 10 by screws 11,. The male die has slidable forms 12 provided with shoul ders 13. These forms are inserted ina die plate 14 and are held in place by the recessed bottom plate 15, the depth of the recessin the plate 15 being' greater than the height of the shoulders 13 by the amount of movement desired for the forms 12.

The casein, as it comes from an extruding machine, is in the form of rods or bars which are immediately cut up into slugsl` Each slug 16 is long enough to extend across y one row of the forms 8 1n the female die.

The male die is then placed in registration with the female die by means of the ide ins 17 carried by the female die an the oles 18 formed in the in Fig. 5. It is not, however, essential 'that the buttons be made of slugs of the kind v just described, for they ma l bemade from a sheet of casein covering al of the forms 8,

When the male and female dies have been brought together with'the plastic material between them, they arelplaced in a suitable ress having platens which may be heated Ey steam and cooled by 'water circulation. Such presses are used in the manufacture of casein by other methods, though in a different way. 4 As soon as the dies have been placed in the press, heavy pressure is applied to the Adrawlngs,` in lthe interest o few seconds after the casein has been male die, as shown-` .same, the surplus material being driven out into the space 19 between the die plates 9 `and14 leavingonly a very vthin film of material Ain the spaces between the individual forms, these spaces being exa gerated in the clearness. A

.pressed intoY thev form 4shown in Fig. 6, stealnis turned on the platens of the press and the heat. therefrom communicated to the :buttons Vnow formed and lstill under pressure. After the heat has been thus applied for a few moments, the steam'is turned off .and cold water' is circulated through the platens Iofthe press, whichv of course cools thedies contacting therewith,"and they in turn cool the buttons still under pressure, the whole operationin the case of but- Arrrnior'e'naiv ainda-NEW Jaassinssrcnoa kTo Annalen. MACHINE tons-beingcompleted in a' few minutes.

The advantageous results obtained by this sequence of steps may be noted at this oint. By moldingthe casein while it is coo and then heating it vWhilestill under pressure, the customary polishing-and 'finishing operations on the molded articles are rendered unnecessary, as the resultl of-this sequence.,-

4of steps is the production -of surface of which is as asthe surfacesof the molding forms used. This is due to the internal pressure developed in the casein by operation of its high coeilcient of-expansi'om-the material being expanded 'byv therheatin step whilel still under pressurein themods to provide the smooth surface. By' theiinal step of cooling the molded articles while they are still under pressure, the-material 'contracts sufiiciently to free the material from the molding forms and without warping either durin the cooling operation 'or thereafter.

- en the buttons have been formed, as

yin .Fifh they: are connected only by a very articles, the; Q smooth or polished v tinguishable from the corner itself when .y

the buttons arel linall broken away fromA this thin film. The ormedcasein having" been embedded in the holes in the .plate 14;

in Fig. 6, the ejection of vthe formed buttons after vcooling is yaccomplished vby vremoving the female die and pushing the forms 12 vof the male die down by means of an ejector 10 20, having lpins 21, registering with the holes 22 in the recessed plate 15,1the male die being supported by a suitable frame or.'

box 23 during this operation, as shown in .Fig 7 When the shoulders 13 .of the forms 15 12 reach the plate 14, the formed buttons Y are freed from the male vdie and drop into the box 23. 5 v v In performing'the operations illustrated in Figs. .5, 6 and 7, the actual position of the godies is ofcourse immaterial as long as their relative position remains the same. These operations, therefore, may be performed bythe recession of the formsv 12, as shown cool uncomminuted mass V'of casein' to f res-. l'

sure yto give it the form of the desire ticles and while still under said pressure heatin and then cooling it. 6. T e method of making articles from casein, which consists in; first lpla/'cinga cool A uncomminutedmass of caseln 1n complementary dies having a parting line substan tiallyV (3o-incident with the junction line Vof different surfaces,` of the articles, then `subjecting the casein so placed to pressureto n give it the form of the molds and articles and While still under said and' then cooling it.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification. f L

' LYN FORD A. APPLEQ'" equally well in the 'positions obtained by' inverting Figs. 5, 6 and 7, respectively..

g5 The buttons or other articles {made by this. method require no further finishing operation unless it is ldesired to cure or harden them, which may be done in any of the Ways'already known, as by submerg- :n ing them in formaldehyde for a long period Without pressure,- or for. va y much shorter .periodunder pressure.k y,

What 1s clalmed 1s;

lLThe method of making-articles vfrom 3 5 casein, which consists in.l first subjecting cool uncomminuted-*extruded casein to pressure to give it the form of the desired 1.' the articles.

3. vThe method of making articles from Y casein, which consists in first subjecting cool uncomminuted extruded casein to pressure to -ve. it the form of .a plurality ofthe desired articlesv and while still under` said pressure heatingl and then` cooling it,` and subsequently separating the articles.

4. The method of making articles from casein, which consists in lirst placing. cool uncommmuted extruded ycaselnv 1nl complev mentary dies having a parting line coincident With the junetionnlineof different surfaces of the articles, then subjecting the Ycasein so placed to pressure -to give itthe 'form of the' molds and articles and while still under said pressure heating and then cooling it.

5. The method of making articles from* casein, which consists in first subjecting a pressure heating 5- les j lazo' `nus 

